1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of an optically active 3-chloro-1-(substituted) phenyl-1-propanol and an optically active 3-chloro-1-(substituted)phenyl-1-propyl ester of a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic acid, and derivatives thereof.
These optically active compounds are important as the intermediates for the synthesis of drugs.
2. Description of Background Art
Up to this time, chemical asymmetric reduction of 3-chloropropiophenone (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,344 and Tetrahedron Lett., 30, 5207 (1989)) and transesterification thereof with lipase (see Japanese Patent Publication-A No. 202296/1989) have been known as the processes for the preparation of optically active 3-chloro-1-phenyl-1-propanol. However, the chemical asymmetric reduction is disadvantageous as an industrial process, because the asymmetric reducing agent is expensive. On the other hand, the transesterification with lipase is disadvantageous in that the obtained product has only a poor optical purity.
Under these circumstances, the establishment of a process for preparing optically active 3-chloro-1-phenyl-1-propanol or derivative thereof, and an optically active 3-chloro-1-phenyl-1-propyl ester of an aliphatic acid or a derivative thereof, each of which has a high optical purity, by an economical and simple means has been expected.